Upholstering tool



Sept. 2, 1952 w, GANT 2,608,793

UPHOLSTERING TOOL Filed April 30, 1948 C/aud W 6am INYENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1952 V I L 'UPHoLsTEmNG'rooLf I gClaud:W.iGant, Dallas, Tex.

, 2 Claims. (01. cs-giety This invention relates to upholsterers' toolsand equipment and more particularly to a tool for tensioning fabriccovering, netting and binding materials.

The principal object of the invention is to'prorelationship of themovable jaw and lever being such that movement of the latter intoparallelism with the handle will exert a; compressive force tending toactuate the movablejaw into clamping relationship with the stationaryjaw and so hold the same, due to off dead center position assumedby thepivotal point'between the movable jaw and' lever and the respectivepivotal points of the jaw. and lever;

Another object of the invention is to provide an upholstering tool inwhich the movable jawis provided with a series of longitudinally spacedand sharpened prongs perpendicular to the jaw and adapted to engageupholstering material While the arcuated head, in inverted position ofthe tool, serves as a fulcrum adapted to bear on a stationary part ofthe work while the handle is moved to impose tension on the materialpreparatory to tacking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool as set forth whosedescribed facilities for clamping and stretching fabrics and netting areso designed and arranged that a secure purchase may be had on thematerial for tensioning whether the margin is narrow or wide, withlittle likelihood of tearing the material.

With the foregoing objects in View, the invention has further referenceto certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingwherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an upholstering tool embodying theinvention showing the jaws expanded.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view.

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view. and

Figure 4 is a perspective view in longitudinal section.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, referencenumeral l denotes the head of the tool, which is formed with an arouatedsurface, having a covering H 'of leather, rubber or other suitablemateria lfto protect from defacement of finished surface against whichit may .be placed as afulcru'm; in the manner to be presentlyexplained-,

' A handle I2 is"formed on or attached to the head-1t; the latter being'at right angles to the handlefasfshown." The underside of the head andaport'ion of'the length'of the handle is rah-- beted'to accor'mnodate anelongated plate It which is-secured to the head and'handle' by means ofscrews I' l-r This plate-terminates at it's forward end" in alongitudinally ribbed jaw which has been and-mayhereafter be referred toas the stationaryja'w and-whichissecured'to the'unders'ide of the headl0; flush withitsfor-wardedge, Formed on-and dependingfror'n theopposite edge of the plate I3is a pair of'ears 16 adjacent the forepartof the-tool. Anarm-il is disposed between the ears l6" and is'pivotedthereto intermediate its ends by means'of a pin l6; Formedintegrallywith one end" of the arm H is a jaw l9, referred to herein asthen-lovable jaw. This jaw is likewise provided with longitudinal ribswhich are adapted to mesh with the ribs of jaw l5 when in operativeengagement therewith.

The rear end of the arm 17 is bifurcated to receive a projection formedon an end of a lever 20 and is pivoted thereto by means of a pin 2!which extends through an opening a in the said projection, the openingbeing slightly larger in diameter than the pin to allow the latter tomove past dead center for the purpose to be presently explained. Theforward end of the lever 20 is lying in a recess in the underside of thehandle l2 exerts a force on the lever 20 rearwardly of the pivot 22tending to overcome the off dead center position of the pivot 2|, thusretracting the movable jaw l9 in relation to the companion jaw [5.However, the spring 24 actually serves to hold the jaw 19 in openposition to prevent closing thereof while the jaws are being used. Whennot in use, the jaw I9 is held, against the thrust of spring; 24.. bythe off-centered position of the pivot 2| downwardly, asshown in Figure2.

The jaw t9 isprovidedwith a serie of sharpened prongs.orteethiispacedthe length thereof. These prongsare adapted to engage, the materialbeing used in upholstering, when the tool is inverted from the positionshown in the several views. The covered portion 01' the head is placedagainst a solid stationary part oi the piece being upholstered as afulcrum while the handle [2 is moved in an arc to impose tension on thematerial until the latter can be secured as by tacking. The width of thehead provides adequate purchase of the material, either by the jawsl5--l9 or prongs 25 and avoids tearing or shredding of the i'abric ornetting, as the case may be.

Since the foregoing description combines the function of the tool withthe construction and relationship of parts, its operation is deemed tobe obvious to those skilled in the art.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of somemodification and such modification as may be construed to fall withinthe scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to bewithin the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed isi 1. In an upholstering tool, the combinationcomprising a substantially T-shape'd member defining an integral headhaving a substantially flat underside and a substantiallysemi-cylindrical upper portion, and a handle at right angles to saidhead having a flat underside on the same plane as the underside of saidhead and provided with a longitudinal recess, a longitudinally ribbedjaw stationary with the underside of said head adjacent the forward edgethereof, and disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of saidhandle, a movable jaw having ribs meshing with the ribs of saidstationary jaw and provided with an arm at right angles thereto, a plateaffixed in the longitudinal recess of said handle, parallel earsdepending from the forward end of said plate pivotally Supporting saidarm intermediate its ends for rocking displacement, a second pair ofears depending from said plate adjacent its rear end, a lever having abend intermediate its ends and pivoted to a second pair of ears. m spivotally connecting the forward end of said lever loosely to therearward end of said arm, and spring means interposed between said plateand said lever rearwardly of said second 5 pair of cars and effective tonormally urge said movable jaw towards disengaged position.

2. In an upholstering tool, the combination comprising an elongated,semi-cylindrical head and a handle at right angles to said head, saidhead and handle being in a single piece and having a flat and recessedundersurface, a plate afiixed in the recess of said undersurface andextending longitudinally of said handle, two longitudinally spaced pairsof ears depending from said plate, a stationary jaw afiixed to andcoextensive with the underside of said head, a movable jaw, an arm onsaid movable jaw at right angles thereto and extending rearwardly undersaid head and pivotally supported in one of the pairs of ears of saidplate, an angular lever disposed longitudinally on the underside of saidhandle and pivotally supported in the other of said pairs of. ears andwhose forward end is loosely pivoted to the rearward end of said arm andoperable to advance said movable jaw against said stationary jaw, andspring means interposed between said. plate and lever for normallyresisting closing movement of said movable jaw.

" CLAUD W. GANT.

' REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS

